A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (UT) and the UT Law School, Donald
Howard Yarborough (1925-2009) was a Democratic politician, whose ability to
articulate liberal values helped bring reform to the Texas Democratic Party. His
first foray into politics came in 1960, when he unsuccessfully ran for Lieutenant
Governor. In 1962, he shocked the Democratic establishment in Texas by coming within
28,000 votes of defeating Lyndon Johnson’s protégé, John Connally, Jr., in the
Democratic gubernatorial primary. He unsuccessfully challenged Connally again in
1964 and lost to Preston Smith in 1968. Centered around civil rights, the
environment, and social justice, his campaigns galvanized labor and minorities,
building a strong foundation for the liberal faction of the Texas Democratic
Party.

Five sixteen-millimeter films compose the Don Yarborough Collection, 1968. Each film
focuses on a different plank in Don Yarborough’s Democratic primary campaign against
Preston Smith in 1968. One film discusses his biography, and one is ad for his
gubernatorial campaign. Other films focus on issues such as pollution and insurance.